3 ways to double if not triple your newsletter conversion rate

For you to improve your chances of making a sale, first you need to improve your exposure. Your conversion rate is direct result of your open rate.

Do you ever monitor the open rate of your newsletter campaigns? It tells you how many people actually read your newsletters. In most case the average open rate is 20 – 30%, but some receive 60%.

So what is the secret of having people eager to receive your newsletters? "It is the content.”

The reason why most people get poor result is because they spend majority of their time designing a fancy looking newsletter instead of working on the content.

From what I have observed, newsletters that get my attention every single time always stick to the following principles:

5 Second Attention
In sales, the first 5 minutes determines the outcome – “order won or order lost.” When it comes to newsletter, it's the first 5 seconds – “continue reading or delete.” So always have something interesting to say in the first paragraph.

K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple & Stupid)
When it comes to online materials, I'm one of those with A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder). I really don't understand why some people would spend all their energy designing fancy tables and images or send me a 1000 word essay in an email. I would much prefer if they get straight to the point.

Value Focused
Most people make the mistake of focusing on product rather than value. Take copywriting for example, most people wouldn't be interested in learning how to write a good sale copy; they are only interested in one thing, which is “how to get more sales”. So give some thought to what your clients want to read, NOT what you want to write.

Here's a newsletter sample from CopyWritingThatSells:

Hi Friend,

If you own a shop in the middle of the desert, and nobody walks past... obviously you’re not going to attract many customers.
If you own a vegetarian café in the middle of a meat-eating suburb... you could get very skinny... very fast. And if you run ads where either:

a) The wrong people see them OR
b) Not enough people see them

Your phones aren't going to ring... and nobody is going to come into your store...
No matter how good your copy is. No matter how good your headline is. No matter how good your offer is.
And I see people make this mistake all the time. For instance, about a year ago I was chatting with a guy I know who sells computer gear to businesses… and he was thinking about placing an ad in the Sydney Morning Herald.

What's wrong with this?

My guess is 90% of the people reading the Sydney Morning Herald are NOT business owners… and therefore 90% of his advertising dollar is wasted.
What's the alternative? Place ads in business publications where you are reaching 100% of your target market.
Or alternatively, rent a list, and direct mail the decision makers within the specific companies you want to approach.
You may pay more to reach each individual: however every single person you communicate with is a potential client. It makes a lot more sense... doesn't it?
And here’s a tip for those businesses who sell products to the general public (like property, clothes, entertainment, home improvement, food or anything else).

If you want your ad to be seen then place it:

a) On the right hand side of the newspaper. Research has proven that right hand side pages get a better result than left hand side pages.

b) In the early general news… as far forward as you can. I always go for page 3, 5 or 7. And pay the loading (usually 30 – 50%) because my experience shows it’s well worth it!

But don't take my word for it. Implement these strategies, measure the results and see what results you achieve in your business.

One final point: Once you start advertising directly to your target market, you'll generate profits so easily, you'll be the envy of all your competitors.

In fact, you'll start stealing so much of their current business, the mere mention of your name will make them shake in their boots.

To get a complimentary copy of my special report '7 Ways To Increase Your Turnover... No Matter What The State Of The Economy' visit: http://www.copywritingthatsells.com.au/

Chat with you shortly,
Scott Bywater
Copywriting That SELLS

Selling your expertise in writing

Most authors spend too much time on selling themselves than focusing on the reader. The fact is most readers are not interested in what you have to say, they are only interested in themselves. So before going into details what you can do, sell the problem first, then offer the solution and your expertise. Once the reader draws the conclusion that there is a problem and they need to do something about it, who do you think they will call for help?

Here's an great example from A.T. Kearney Consulting, published in Management Today September issue.

Step 1. selling the problem
Starting with the title "Offshore moves fail expectations", followed with a static "60% of companies fail to meet expectations".

Step 2. hook the audience
"The study of multinational companies also reveals that companies with a focus on overall performance rather than cost save 3.5 times more money than companies that offshore simply to cut costs."

Step 3. selling the content of the report
"The quantitative study, Execution is everything: The keys to offshore success, looks at why some companies succeed and others fail when offshoring."

Step 4. direct reader to their website
The full study is accessible from http://www.atkearney.com/shared_res/pdf/OffshoringFinal_S.pdf

Offshore moves fail expectations
In what may come as something of a surprise, 60 percent of companies who send operations offshore fail to meet their operation performance expectations and over 34 percent fail to meet their savings expectations, according to the results of a recent study by management consultants A.T. Kearney.
The study of multinational companies also reveals that companies with a focus on overall performance rather than cost saved 3.5 times more money than companies that offshore simply to cut costs.
In fact, companies that improved on at least three out of six operational performance areas experienced average savings of 44 percent from offshoring, while companies that improved on two or fewer measures saved only an average of 30 per cent. The best performing group average 64 percent savings, more than 3.5 times the poorest performing group.
The quantitative study, Execution is everything: The keys to offshore success, looks at why some companies succeed and others fail when offshoring. The research measured post offshoring operational performance changes reported by 42 companies across six measures: capacity, organisational flexibility, revenue performance, organisation capability, process maturity and service levels. It revealed that the success of offshoring varied widely, with reported cost savings ranging from 0 to 75 percent.
Peter Munro, Vice-President, A.T. Kearney Australia, says the study, while confirming the significant benefits that can be achieved from offshore strategies, is a cautionary tale for Australian firms feeling the pressure to offshore. "Offshoring may be part of a broader profit improvement strategy, but it needs to be viewed in the context of other improvement opportunities and is no means a silver bullet for cutting costs."
The full study is accessible from http://www.atkearney.com/shared_res/pdf/OffshoringFinal_S.pdf

Winning MBA ads

I was reading the September issue of The Economist and I saw an ad offering MBA course. It has no image or fancy formatting, just plain text on white background, however it's the best ad I have seen in years!

50% of the word's

top companies* work with us.

There must be a reason.

The body briefly explains the organisation's vision and what it does. The last paragraph is really the stroke of a genius:

"At least half the world's 100 top companies listed in the 2006 Fortune Global 500 rating works with Bocooni. And indeed, never before has the future of any company depended so much on the talent of those who work for it."

It's instantly credibility, much more powerful than just saying "we have worked with many of the world's biggest companies"
For comparison I have collected a few other MBA ads. The second ad by Fletcher School has fancy layout and design, however it doesn't really speak to me, just another organisation offering MBA. The third ad by Open University is definitely interesting and it's quite bizzar, but that's as far as it goes. I still think the Bocooni ad is the best.

I'd love to know what you think. Feel free to leave a comment.

You can subscribe for email updates. I respect your inbox. You will only hear from me when there is something interesting.

Words of wisdom for consultants

The Institute of Management Consultant held a 3 hour seminar last Friday in MLC Centre and two speakers were invited to present.

John Groarke
www.jegmc.com

John has decades of experience in consulting and is currently running a course for consultants. Here's a few key point I find very helpful:

1. Winning proposal - use visual aids and summary to support
Client won't be interested in reading through a 17 page proposal. Make it easy for them, outline what you are going to do in one page summary and use visual aids to present your proposal, this will give you much better chance of succeeding.

2. Know when the project is finished
A project doesn't go on forever, be clear on the outcome, review the result with client and disengage once the outcome has been achieved.

3. Followup
At least follow up over the phone, but do not get involved without a new proposal. Treat them as new client, don't take for granted and get comfortable and cosy. A lot consultants fail in this aspect.

Cindy Tonkin
www.cindytonkin.com

"Deliver what people really want, not what they say they want."

Cindy started with the question"How do you define the term strategy?" There were a variety of answers including planning, structure, outcome etc.
Cindy was once asked by a client to come up with a "strategic project". After a few attempts the client was still not satisfied. Then she asked "what do you mean by a strategic project?"

The client said: "a project to work with senior management."

Many of the audiences shared similar experiences. Clients often use jargon they don't fully understand, saying things while meaning something entirely different. The key is to ask certain set of questions to clarify, such as "what do you mean or what signs are you looking for" You can find some sample questions from Cindy's website http://www.cindytonkin.com/.

How to charge premium for your service

By chance I came across a copy writer and his name is Scott Bywater. At the time I was looking for something completely different and had no intention to hire a copy writer. Amazingly I was sold within 5 minutes reading what he has written on his website http://www.copywritingthatsells.com.au/

"Revealed: Why Most Ads, Sales Letters And Web Sites Don't Turn A Profit - The Unvarnished Truth From Australia's Leading Copywriting Expert"

I don't often read past the first two sentences unless there is something really compelling. The first impression wasn't that memorable, the site looks quite amateurish from the design point of view, however the headline is what really grabbed my attention. Interesting enough I read from the first word down to the very last, and by then I am totally convinced - he is indeed one of the best copy writers in Australia, just as he claims.

After emailing Scott for a quote, I received a phone call from a lady acting on his behalf, starting with questions like "What's your key selling point? Who are you targeting? What are the results you expect?"

Then she went on explaining what is involved and how it works. Scott only works with clients after the initial screening, he doesn't accept any work that's under $1000, and I have to be comfortable with his style of writing because what I see is what I get, all of which really showed me he's totally confident about his skills and he's not desperate to get my business.

The lady then referred to Scott's diary, telling me that he's totally booked out for the next two month and he will only be able to work with me after that time. Then she booked an phone appointment for me to talk to him. Instead of asking what time I prefer, she picked out a time and then ask if it's alright. Here's the best part - she gave me a 1300 number to call instead of offering Scott to call me, and even sent me an email to officially confirm the appointment!
The presentation was done so well, by the time I hang up the phone, it felt like I'm the one who's going to miss out if I don't call.

What impressed me the most is not Scott's skill in copyrighting, it's how he established a strong personal brand in just few minutes over the phone. He's definitly a master presenter!

Newsletters - frequency vs relevance

I was reading an interested article by Fred Schebesta talking about how often you should be sending newsletter so people won't feel you are spamming them.

The point is - it's not about frequency, doesn't matter if you are emailing them once a month or once a year, if the content is not useful, people simply won't read it.

I was on e-Myth's mailing list and the content was always about their clients success stories, which is purely promotional materials and I never bothered to open them. In fact, most business are doing pretty well if they can achieve a 20 - 30% open rate. It's important to keep an eye on the numbers, especially the open rate and how many links people click on, this will give you an idea how successful your newsletter campaign is. There are many software out there that can do this, the one I'm using is CampaginMonitor, I have to say I'm pretty impressed with how user friendly it is. The software is design by FreshView. You can find alot of materials about newsletter marketing on their website.

For you to see real result with newsletter marketing, relevant content is the most crucial factor, in addition to that, here's a few things you can do to get people open your newsletter:

1. Experiment with your subject lines: Try including details about the content of the email right in the subject line, instead of using your standard subject.

2. Send on a different day: Are your subscribers too busy on a Wednesday morning to read your email, leaving it languishing down the inbox? Maybe a Friday afternoon email would be welcomed.

3. Get the important content up the top: Remember that many people will see a preview of your email before deciding to open it or ignore it. Make sure your email is recognizable, and that your key points are in the top third.

Grow your business through media exposure

Imagine advertising a full page advert in a magazine which will cost in excess of $5,000, not to mention the cost that may come from hiring a professional marketer to compile a reasonable advert to get you 5 seconds of the readers' attention.
You are much better off to promote through "education" than putting together a banner or an advert and hoping someone will take notice. You do not need to be a brilliant writer or rocket scientist to get published. Just be genuine, and offer useful and interesting content to your reader. Most importantly don't sound like an advertisement; be helpful, practical, and your effort will eventually pay off.

Here are a few tips to get you started:
If you would like to write for a specific magazine, before submitting an article to be considered, take time to do the research first and get to know the publication. If you take the hit and miss approach, you will be spending a lot of time and see no real result. Go to the newsagency, grab hold of the publication, read through it and ask yourself the following questions:

1. Frequency
Is the target a bi-monthly, monthly or a quarterly publication? If you submit something now and gets accepted, it will not appear in the next issue. Magazines often work 3 to 6 months in advance, so get prepared in advance.

2. Topic/theme
Flip through the magazine and see what topics they cover. If they already covered staff retention, it's very unlikely they will consider the same topic again for a while. Also look into their archive and see what they covered in the past. If you can take a new approach to an old topic you'll still have a good chance.

3. Target audience
The best way to determine their target audience is by looking at the advertisement, you may not always trust what they say in an ad, but you can be certain they have done their homework in researching the demographics.

4. Length of an article
Editors prefer an article between 600 - 850 words. Only for a feature article, they will consider something between 1000 to 1500 words.

5. Tone/style
Some publication prefer a formal approach in the third person, other publication may prefer a more conversational style. For journals, it is always very formal and academic. For magazines, they prefer to use case studies to illustrate a point.

After doing all the home work and before sending your article to be considered, pay 100% attention to the title and the first paragraph. If the first paragraph is not compelling enough, you can certainly expect that the editor is not going to look further.